1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system. More specifically, the present invention relates to Ethernet adapters. Still yet more specifically, the present invention is a computer-implemented method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for identifying a link status for a virtual adapter in a logical partition framework.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasingly, large symmetric multi-processor data processing systems are no longer being used as single large data processing systems. Instead, these types of data processing systems are being partitioned and used as smaller systems. These systems are also referred to as logical partitioned (LPAR) data processing systems. Logical partitions within a data processing system allow multiple copies of a single operating system or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping subset of the platform's resources. These platform allocable resources include one or more architecturally distinct processors and their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and input/output (I/O) adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by the platform's firmware to the operating system image.
Each distinct operation system or image of an operating system running within a platform is protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition cannot affect the correct operations of any of the other partitions. This protection is provided by allocating a disjointed set of platform resources to be directly managed by each operating system image and by providing mechanisms for insuring that the various images cannot control any resources that have not been allocated to that image. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an operating system's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the operating system or each different operating system directly controls a distinct set of allocable resources within the platform.
With respect to hardware resources in a logical partitioned data processing system, these resources are disjointly shared among various partitions. These resources may include, for example, input/output (I/O) adapters, memory DIMMs, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and hard disk drives. Each partition within a LPAR data processing system may be booted and shut down over and over without having to power-cycle the entire data processing system.
Each logical partition can communicate with other partitions within the same framework using a virtual Ethernet adapter. A virtual Ethernet adapter is a software component which performs the same functions as a physical Ethernet adapter. A virtual Ethernet adapter facilitates communications between partitions, while a physical Ethernet adapter facilitates communications between an external data processing system and the logical partition framework.
A virtual Ethernet adapter is not subject to the same communications failures as a physical Ethernet adapter. For example, communications in a physical Ethernet adapter can fail due to hardware issues, faulty switches, or an unplugged Ethernet cable. Additionally, even if a logical partition framework experiences a failure in the physical Ethernet adapter, communications between logical partitions can continue without interruption.
However, currently, the failure identification system only includes a general link-up or link-down status. The link-up status indicates that no communications failures currently exist in the framework. The link-down status indicates a general interruption in communications with no identification of whether the failure exists with a physical or virtual Ethernet adapter.
Therefore, at times, the link-down status is a misnomer because, in certain situations, only the physical Ethernet adapter, and not the virtual Ethernet adapter, is down. Thus, communications are only interrupted within the external data processing system and not within the logical partition framework itself.